Community Rallies to save Goldsmiths Centre

UPDATE: It’s now one week since the campaign launch and so far £2,500 has been raised. The team are halfway to their first target of £5K to replace the fire doors and begin to earn money from the building. Do please continue to share the campaign film which helps explains the current situation and how important the centre is to the local community.

If you can spare £5 towards the cause? You and your company can make your donation here:

Downham is not well served for shops or amenities, but what it does have is its community centre. It’s now at great risk due to cuts in capital funding. The Goldmiths Trustees have produced a great video about their campaign to save their Centre. It is a substantial video at 16 minutes- is but absolutely worth a watch to discover how long the building has been in service and what it means to the scores of different groups and activities based there. There are some fantastic community interviews too.

Goldsmiths Community Centre has stood at the heart of the North Downham Estate for 76 years. It is in one of the most deprived postcodes in the country but has a vibrant mix of ethnic groups and ages. Over the years it has supported a needy population with healthcare, education, advice, training, and leisure facilities, but most importantly it is a place where the diverse community can come together fostering understanding, tolerance and co-operation in a way that no other facility can.

“If we don’t have spaces for our community to meet we don’t have a community”– Trevor Pybus, Community Development officer.

This essential facility is now threatened with permanent closure as a result of the combined effects of the recession, substantial funding cuts for community groups and the demands of an aging building in need of upgrading. The final blow was the discovery of asbestos in the loft of the building, which requires removal before any further development.

“In this current climate of austerity, fear of terrorism and reduced access to open spaces, the value of community centres such as Goldsmiths in bringing people together cannot be underestimated. If the Centre closes it will be lost for ever and the land almost certainly sold for development.”– Liz Wood, Chair Goldsmiths Community Association.

The ground floor of the building is now completely safe for public use and funds have been secured for removal of asbestos in the loft. But, to survive, the Centre now needs an injection of funds to restore and update the building. We also need to be able to employ quality staff to help us continue to provide our essential services and ensure the Centre remains at the heart of the community for generations to come. ​

“The most important thing is giving the community the power to support itself”-Trevor Pybus Community Development officer .

Please take 15 minutes of your time to look at our film, which outlines the history and importance of the Centre and our fight for survival and asks the public to make a small donation to support the future of a community and help us keep the doors open.

You can help by sharing the video and the donation link which is: https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/goldsmithscommunitycentre

“We need to work together to find ways in which we can raise funds to make sure we can breathe some life back into this fantastic building” ​-Heidi Alexander MP Lewisham East.Contactweb: http://www.goldsmithscommunitycentre.org.uk/